We get so busy in life with responsibilities in work and family life. We barely have time to relax at all these days. The holiday craze is the one time of the year where everyone is on pins and needles. As business owners that deliver products in person or through shipping, here are some quick tips for the Holiday Deadlines.

Did you know that the 2016 Holiday season has only 29 days between BLACK FRIDAY and Christmas? That is a very short window to get all the orders fulfilled and shipped out to customers. During the holidays getting merchandise orders filled and shipped are a top priority for Top Stitch Inc. So, how do shipping and holidays go together?

It is no secret that the United States today has evolved into a consumer based society for the most part. Today customers eyes light up at the sound of discounts and deals.

94% of polled customers said that discounts would be important to their purchase decisions during the holidays.

Here are five ideas to help you make your promotional sales success this holiday season.

1 Running a Promo

If you are going to run a promotion during the holidays, get people interested before you start the promotion. The main reason why retailers put out their Christmas stuff early is to capture early sales with customers. They want to entice people to take advantage of the savings before the holiday “madhouse” rush.

2 Early Access to the Promotion

Do you have a list of loyal customers? Grant them access to the promotional sale before you introduce it to the general public. You already know that they like your products and service, now is the time to capture more sales. Email them a particular sale item or service.

3 Put a Time Limit On The Sale

Any time you create urgency in a promotion people think they will miss out on the great sale event. Black Friday each year is a perfect example of this. When you announce there is only 24 – 48 hours in the sale with limited quantities, then people flock to get it while supplies last.

4 Extend the Sale

After the sales are over, don’t worry, you don’t have to end it there. If the sale is a huge success, extend it and reach out to all the potential customers that might have missed your sale event. Everyone has FOMO (fear of missing out).

5 Free Shipping

Every business owner understands that maintaining a healthy profit margin is critical. Exceptional customer service and great products are equally important to run a great business. Consumers during the holiday season look for the deals and the crowd favorite is “Free Shipping.” Here are three reasons why free shipping works so well.

4 out of 5 customers feel that free shipping is a deciding factor in making a purchase.

93% of customers take actions to see if they can get free shipping on their order and that leads to 58% of them making a purchase.

83% of consumers said they would wait a few more days to get the free shipping on their orders.

Quick Guide to Holiday Shipping Guides for 2016 Holiday Season

Nov 30 – Fedex Smart Post

Dec 2 – FedEx Ground

Dec 8 – FedEx Express Saver

Dec 8 – USPS First Class Mail

Dec 9 – FedEx 2 Day

Dec 12 – FedEx Standard Overnight

Remember these are suggested ship dates for your customers to get their merchandise in time for the Christmas holiday this year. Happy Holidays this season!